Sunday School Lesson
Length: 1 hour
Audience: Adults
Lesson: 1 Corinthian
10:12-22
Prayer
Introduction 15 Minutes
Have the students read the short story below. After reading,
have them answer the question at the end of the story.
Friday was Bob’s last day. I was in charge of planning the event. Bob
had been a great friend and mentor, and I wanted to send him out in style. I
walked through the office making a list of all the people that planned on
attending. It was going to be a first class; Christian affair. We even planned to have prayer for Bob at the
end of the party.
I asked Mary if she planned on attending. Mary was recently saved, and
I wanted her to feel a part of the Christian family at work. Mary was not convinced.
She was a recovering alcoholic, and didn’t think it wise to attend. I told Mary
that alcohol does not save or condemn. I encouraged her to come, because the
safest place on earth was around believers. Mary nodded, and agreed to stop by.
1 hour and 11 drinks later; Mary was drunk. She made a complete fool of
herself, and totally ruined the party. She looked at me with tears in her eyes
and said: “I shouldn’t have listened to you.”
I felt bad. I only wanted her to be with us, and have a good time.
Was what I did wrong?
(Allow for open discussion for about 5 minutes)
Answer: I should have respected the needs of the babe in
Christ, and not tempted her into sin. As a Christian, I should have been more
sensitive to Mary, and not put her in that position.
(Ask the class to share a time when either they encouraged
someone to do something they could not handle.)
The title of the lesson is: It’s not okay! In it, we can and
will measure ourselves against ourselves, and get a sense of where we are in
our Christian walk. We will divide the lesson into 3 parts:
(At the end of each section, allow time for questions.)
Understanding your strengths (12-13) 10 Minutes
Even strong Christians will face serious temptation. Those
that are strong are sometimes more likely to fall because they let their
spiritual guard down. As a Christian, it is never okay to fall; or to make
excuses for falling. God does not give you more than you can handle.
Understanding idolatry (14-19) 10 Minutes
Flee means run! Sometimes, in order to avoid sin, you have
to run. In the 23 Psalms, David proclaimed that he sometimes had to walk
through the valley of the shadow of death. David also said that God prepared a
table before him in the presence of his enemies. God does not remove - He guides.
About Idols:
·
They are not real.
·
The 10 Commandments warns against graven images.
·
Taking Holy Communion unifies our bodies with Christ; idol worship
unifies us with the devil.
·
God cannot share space with evil.
Understanding God’s wishes (20-21) 10 Minutes
The Bible is full of examples of how the Israelites provoked
God by doing wrong in His eyes.
Read Numbers 25:9: Mention how Israel fell due to idolatry.
Summary 10 Minutes
The strong can sin by doing something that causes the weak
to stumble.
God is bigger than what you are going through.
Closing prayer
Author: Stephen Thomas
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